Gods and Religion
Several different gods are worshipped on the planet Ygos. Each deity belongs to a certain “family” of gods, called a pantheon. Each pantheon follows a structure of cosmos, that is, an understanding of how the universe works, and the role gods, mortals and immortals play in it. Gods are worshipped for different reasons, depending on the pantheon and the religions associated with them. Religions differ. The same gods may be worshipped in different ways and for different reasons. Religion is organized and represented by various religious organizations. Churches, temples and cults claim to hold a certain level of god-given authority and/or responsibility. Listed below are the some of most influential religions on the planet Ygos. Dividers of Heaven, the Its worshippers are known as “dividers”. This is the largest and most prominent religion in the Western World. Its teachings are centred around a single holy text known as “The Book of Nights”. The dividers believe in three major deities: Abaddon, Kali and Taiia. Abbadon is the master of the universe. His daughters, the twin sisters Kali and Taiia, represents different mother figures. Taiia is kind, supporting and warm, while Kali is brutal, demanding and ambitious. The three deities represent: Light (Taiia), Darkness (Kali) and the Void (Abaddon). Abaddon is the most powerful of the three. House of the Sun and Serpent The oldest religion on Ygos. It has its roots in Neraka, has spread to some of the southern kingdoms as well. The deities worshipped in this religion are known as “The Black Gods”. This leads many to assume that these deities are dark and sinister, but to the Nerakans, the colour black is synonymous with fertility. Lords of Asgaard The main religion in Vaza. Between Gods and Mortals and goddesses is done because of fear, and other times it is because worshippers hope to achieve something from the gods. Sometimes the worshipping of gods is regarded as being reciprocal. Worshippers sacrifice and perform rituals for the gods, which give them strength and power, so that they can defend the moral world. But how exactly gods and mortals influence each other variates hugely from one faith to another. Faith is a more specific understanding of the structure of the cosmos. There may be many worshippers of the same the same gods, but faiths can differ in what specific gods in the pantheon are worshipped, and which deities are feared or left out. Worshippers of certain faiths, often form organisations, which are referred to as churches. Most of these pantheons features a single all-powerful deity, who plays a major role in the creation of the universe. Lesser gods are all somehow related to this elder deity, but how these lesser deities come about, and what happens after the creation of the universe variates from one pantheon to another. 'Mythology' In a world where magic, science and divine powers are present, it is necessary to establish an understanding of how the universe works. This section covers the creation of the world and the universe, the mystery of death and afterlife and the three types of being. Creation of Cosmos There are several different myths and legends about the creation of the universe. These myths have many similarities, but the gods involved and how they came to be are the biggest variables in these tales. All creation myths revolves around the same story about how everything used to be an infinite darkness, where primitive god-like beings battled each other for power. Among these primitive god-beings (sometimes called elders or old ones) rose the “ancient” a creator god, who defeats the elders and steals their power. The ancient one then uses this stolen power to create all life in the universe. There are many variations on what follows the creation. Sometimes the ancient is destroyed by the massive powers he took from the elder beings, other times he is betrayed by lesser gods he has made or thirdly, that the battle and creation drew so much power from the maker that he went into deathlike sleep. Lesser gods comes in many shapes and sizes, and they often reflect the race that worships them. Some gods are just a personified image of legendary heroes which have performed extraordinary deeds for their people. Representing freedom and justice. These are called demi-gods. The three types of beings All living beings in the Hellstar Universe are divided into three categories: Gods, Immortals and Mortals. The gods are the most powerful beings in the universe. How they came to be and what significance they hold depends on the pantheon they are associated with. Gods are rarely found on the material plane. Most are found living in parallel dimensions, alternate planes of existence, from where they can monitor the doings of mortals.and defend their cities from other gods. The immortals are powerful beings who cannot die and does wither from old age. They can, however, be destroyed by equally or more powerful beings. Immortals are divided into four types: Ancients, Angels, Demons, Devils and Imps. The ancients are the most powerful of the immortals. They are primitive alien-like creatures, who are powerful, but few in number because most of them were wiped out by the elder god. The ancients’ power is second only to the gods themselves. Angels and Daemons are the soldiers of the gods. It is a misguided notion that angels serve only good deities, and that daemons only serves the evil ones. Angels and daemons are independent creatures who serve whoever they please. A god may have entire legions of both angels and daemons at his service. Devils are the lowest class of the immortals. Every mortal has a soul but what happens to the soul when somebody dies, is a mystery Imps are the embodied souls of other beings who are doomed to serve others. In some religions, the soul is thought to go on a journey towards a peaceful afterlife. On this journey, the souls often gets lost, and ends up in hell. When the souls arrive in hell, they slowly start to regain a physical body. Usually these bodies are rather fragile, and they are often misshaped with one or no limbs to move about with. The flesh of these primitive beings, starts to harden over time, but the soul is able to form itself into a more advanced being. Imps evolve over time. They can shape their bodies, and even create weapons from their bones. The longer devil stays in hell, the more powerful he becomes. Imps constantly fight among themselves in order to establish, who is the most powerful. When another sufficiently powerful being defeats an imp, be it a mortal, an immortal, a god or even another imp, the devil is compiled to serve this being. During an imp’s service, it no longer able to grow and/or evolve until its master is defeated. The abyss, where most imps are found, is an eternal battlefield where endless hordes of imps constantly fight each other. Gods and Culture It is not unusual to find that there are several gods with the same agenda, portfolio and domains. Whether this means that there is one god with several names, or several gods with the same agendas is not known. Most culture sees the gods as having characteristics similar to their own. A deity’s looks and behaviour often reflects the race of its worshippers. Athena might be imagined as both an elf or a dwarf depending on the individual worshipper. It is often assumed that gods can take the shape of other living beings. This is how they often choose to influence the world, since by taking the shape of a mortal they can change and keep an eye on things without drawing the attention of rival deities. Death and Afterlife Death is perhaps the greatest mystery in the Hellstar universe. There are many deities with death as one of their domains, but what exactly happens when you die is completely unknown. There is a myth that angels and daemons knows the secret of life, but that they cannot tell it to others who are not blessed with immortality. Telling the secret would kill both the questioner and the immortal. Nonetheless, the mystery of death has created as many stories and legends as there are people who can come up with them. One thing is certain: If you die, you can never come back as the one you were. Resurrection has never happened successfully in this world. There is the god-king Osiris, who were killed by his brother Set, and then embalmed and restored to life by Anubis. This is the story of the first living mummy and there are several stories of the living dead in every culture. Commonly, these mighty undead are known as dust-lords, because they somehow managed to rise from the dead and continue their doings. Usually these individuals end up as lonely and vengeful beings because life somehow loses its spark when it is eternal. Mortals are by name, not meant to live forever. Immortality or unlife is a punishment, not a blessing. End of the world When world ends, it will return to the primordial chaos from where it was created. Some religious myths speaks of a redeemer whose deeds will results in a permanent change of the universe. This change that ultimately result in the destruction of the world. But worshippers and believers of the redeemer do not know this. Certain cults believe that the world needs to be destroyed, so that a new and better world may rise from its ashes. 'Pantheon' What follows here is the current list of deities which appear in the Hellstar universe: Overview: 1.Gods of the West 2.Dragon Gods 3.Daemon Lords 4.Deities of Abanah 5.The Black Gods 6.Khortan Gods 7.Gods of Vasaa 'Gods of the West' 'Dragon Gods' 'Daemon Lords' 'Deities of Abanah' 'Black Gods' 'Khortan Gods' 'Gods of Vaza'